Monday, January 30, 2012

Republikkkans!

Here are the top 10 racist moments by the Republican presidential candidates so far.   [via Alternet]

1.   Newt Gingrich puts Juan Williams "in his place" for daring to ask an unpleasant question during the South Carolina debate.

This was the most pernicious example of old-school white racism at work in the Republican primary campaign.   Newt Gingrich, a son of the South who grew up in the shadow of legendary Jim Crow racist Lester Maddox, is an expert on the language and practice of white racism (in both its subtle and obvious forms).   He has ridden high with Republican audiences by suggesting that black people are lazy, and their children should be given mops and brooms in order to learn the value of hard work.   With condescending pride, Gingrich has also stated that he would lecture the NAACP--one of America’s most storied civil rights organizations--that they ought to demand jobs and not food stamps from Barack Obama.

2. Herman Cain, in one of the most grotesque performances in post-civil rights-era politics to date, deftly plays his designated role as an African-American advocate for some of the Tea Party and New Right’s most racist policy positions.

Most notably, in numerous interviews Cain alluded to the Democratic Party as keeping African Americans on a “plantation,” and that black conservatives were “runaway slaves” who were uniquely positioned to “free” the minds of their brothers and sisters.   Doubling down, as a black conservative mascot for the fantasies of the Tea Party faithful, Herman Cain also suggested that anyone who accuses them of “racism” (ignoring all available evidence in support of this claim) were in fact anti-white, and the real racists.

3.   Ron Paul argues that the landmark federal legislation that dismantled Jim Crow segregation in the 1960s was a moral evil and a violation of white people’s liberty.

Ron Paul’s claim that the rights of black Americans are secondary to the “freedom” of whites to discriminate, is an almost perfect mirror for the logic of apartheid.

4.   Rick Santorum tells conservative voters that black people are parasites who live off hard-working white people.

Santorum’s claim that “I don’t want to make black people's lives better by giving them somebody else's money” is problematic in a number of ways.   First, Santorum channels the white supremacist classic Birth of a Nation and its imagery of childlike free blacks who are a burden on white society.

5.   In keeping with the class warfare narrative, and as a way of proving their conservative bona fides, Republican candidates have crafted a strategy in which they repeatedly refer to the unemployed as lazy, unproductive citizens who would “be rich if they just went out and got a job.”

In fact, as suggested by Mitt Romney, any discussion of the wealth and income gap in the United States (and the destruction of the middle class), should be done in a “quiet room,” as such truth-telling stokes mean-spirited resentment against the rich.

6.   Mitt Romney wants to "keep America America."

The dropping of one letter from the Ku Klux Klan’s slogan, “Keep America American,” does not remove the intent behind Romney’s repeated use of such a virulently bigoted phrase.   While Mitt Romney can claim ignorance of the slogan’s origins, he is intentionally channeling its energy.

7.   Rick Perry’s nostalgic memories of his family’s ranch, "Niggerhead."

You cannot choose your parents (or decide what your ancestors will christen the family retreat before your birth).   You can, however, choose to rename the family ranch something other than the ugliest word in the English language.

8.   Former candidate Michele Bachmann suggests that the black family was stronger during slavery than in freedom.

Her claim is not just a simple misunderstanding of history and the importance of family in the Black Experience.   No, she is signaling to a tired, white supremacist, slavery-apologist narrative which opines that African Americans were/are not yet ready for freedom, and could only “flourish” under the benign guidance of the Southern Slaveocracy.

9.   The Republican Party’s 2012 presidential candidates' near-silence about how the Great Recession has destroyed the African American and Latino middle-class.


This speaks volumes about just how selectively inclusive the Republican Party—which markets itself as the defender of the “American Dream” and of an “opportunity society”—really is.

10.   The echo chamber that is Fox News, right-wing talk radio, the conservative blogosphere, and Republican elected officials daily stoke the politics of white racial resentment, bigotry and fear.

Ultimately, the Republican candidates would not use racism as a weapon if it were not rewarded by their voters, and encouraged by the party’s leadership.   An army travels on its stomach; it needs foot soldiers and shock troops to advance its aims.   From the ugly, race-based conspiracy fantasies of Birtherism to the astroturf politics of the Tea Party to a news network whose guests routinely disparage Barack Obama with such labels as “ghetto crackhead” to the bloviating racist utterances by opinion leaders such as Rush Limbaugh, to the common bigotry on display at right-wing Web sites that use monkey, ape, gorilla, pimp, and watermelon imagery to depict the United States’ first black president and his family, it is clear that racism “works” for the Republican Party.


More detail and the full article at Alternet

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Obama against Religion & Romney anti-Semetic!



Folks...it doesn't get any better than this!   And Ms. Palin is a Newtie!



Like I said...it doesn't get any better than this.   Can't wait 'til Crazy Eyes chimes in!

The "State" of Religion in the USA!

An analysis of more than 350,000 interviews conducted by Gallup in 2008 finds Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Arkansas to be the most religious states in the nation.



Not much new news here!   All the top 10 religious states represent the cornerstone of the bible belt. I can't retire/relocate to any of them!

If Newt stays in the Republican primary until Tampa (and I hope he does)...it will be interesting to note how many of the bible belt states want Newt to be the next president!

Monday, January 23, 2012

The Year of the Dragon




Happy New Year!

"Occupying the 5th position in the Chinese Zodiac, the Dragon is the mightiest of the signs.   Dragons symbolize such character traits as dominance and ambition. Dragons prefer to live by their own rules and if left on their own, are usually successful.   They’re driven, unafraid of challenges, and willing to take risks.   They’re passionate in all they do and they do things in grand fashion.   Unfortunately, this passion and enthusiasm can leave Dragons feeling exhausted and interestingly, unfulfilled."

I was born in the year of the Dog!

"Occupying the 11th position in the Chinese Zodiac, the Dog symbolizes character traits such as loyalty, compatibility and kindness.   Dogs frequently offer kind words and useful advice, always listening and lending a shoulder when necessary.   Dogs often become deeply involved in others’ lives and are sometimes perceived as nosy.   Ensuring others are happy is more important to the Dog than wealth, money or success."

OK...I can deal with being a dog...but I don't think I'm nosy?

Sunday, January 22, 2012

And the winner is...Newt!





“We all know the record.   He was run out of the speakership of his own party, he was fined $300,000 for ethics violations.   This is a guy who’s had a very difficult political career at times and has been an embarrassment to the party.   The fact of the matter is I don’t need to regale the country with that entire list again except to say this.   I’m not saying he will do it again in the future, but sometimes past is prologue.”

Chris Christie   (Governor of New Jersey)

“Newt Gingrich wants us to know that he did not ask his second ex-wife for an open marriage.   An honest open relationship was never on the table. Newt and Callista’s six-year-long adulterous relationship was grounded in deceit and betrayal from the start, and Newt and Callista never wavered from the path of deceit and betrayal.   Newt Gingrich was making an implicit promise to socially conservative voters:   He did not ask his most recent ex-wife for an open marriage, and he will not ask any of his future ex-wives for an open marriage.”
Dan Savage   (Media pundit and author) via the New York Times

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Newt

For me…it all boils down to “the content of their character”.   That immediately eliminates Newt.



This is the same guy (along with his buddy Ken Starr) who led the impeachment proceedings against Bill Clinton while he was cheating on his wife.   What’s really scary about this video clip, more than anything else, is the audience gave him standing ovations!   I realize it’s a room full of Republicans…but that still scares the shit out of me!   I know this is South Carolina…and that’s a whole ‘ nother story…but a standing ovation for this hypocrite, serial adulterer and defender of the sanctity of marriage is just unbelievable.   Damn!

President Al Green - Awesome!

Friday, January 20, 2012

Miss Birdie!

On January 15th, Miss Birdie left us.   She was the Mom of one of our dearest friends.   She was 87 years old.   She lived a long life and unfortunately, in her latter years, suffered from Alzheimers disease.   Before that...she was the life of the party!   Keep on dancin' Miss Birdie!

Here's what Miss Birdie's daughter (our dearest friend) had to say:

"Our Mom knew she could accomplish anything and acted on it.   She was self confident, generous and gifted.   She was an athlete, she sang in the church choir and at weddings, played the piano, tap danced.   She was fluent in Spanish and had a Masters in Bilingual Education.   She was on the board of the first bank that opened in our town.   Prior to the bank's opening our mom organized the local "partner" or "su su" which is a communal savings program where folks put an agreed upon amount into a fund each month and each month one of the participants would receive their "draw".

"Our Mom was fluent in Spanish and had a Masters in Bilingual Education. She exposed our family and community to all kinds of cultural activities.   She was the only woman I knew in the 1950s who could ride a motor cycle.   She was the first woman I knew who bought her own car.   When my dad was not ready to teach her to drive, she taught herself".

"Our Mom was a devoted mother, grandmother and teacher.   I will always remember her with her cane, bent over, on the dance floor at family parties and events.   She loved life, she loved people, she never complained. She set a high standard for all of us.   We will miss Miss Birdie but it was time for her to go."


Much love Miss Birdie!   And keep on dancin'   We need more of you on this earth and in our lives!

At Last...Etta James RIP!

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Father of the Brides!


Huh?   Wedding Advice?   What in the world brings this up?   Well…we have been invited to 3 weddings over the course of the next several months and they have been the subject of discussion around the kitchen table.   OK…so it’s been a one man discussion!   However, as a two time “Father of the Bride” within a year of each other (ouch)…I’ve got my own opinions/advice!   So…if you’re planning a wedding, below is my unsolicited advice…from the “Father of the Brides”!

The List:
If I’ve said it once…I’ll say it a thousand times…it’s all about the list!   To me…this was the most agonizing aspect of sending both of my daughters down the aisle and off to wedded bliss!   You might ask why?   The obvious answer is…it has the most significant impact on the overall cost!   Cost matters…unless you are part of the 1%.   I’m not!   The list influences the location for both the wedding and the reception venues, the menu, the flowers (or lack thereof), bar options, invitations and damn near everything else…save the infamous bridal gown…aka…dress (see below).   Believe it or not, I still think about those few that we couldn’t invite to our wedding (cost and venue size)…and that was over 37 years ago !



Here’s an interesting option.   For one couple we know…the magic number was 150.   Parents of the bride and the groom were allocated a maximum of 30 guests each.   No questions asked (invite whoever they wanted).   The bride and groom got to invite the remaining 90 guests!   Any unused invites allocated to the parents would go back to the bride and groom’s “kitty”.   Interesting idea and it really worked for them (I think?).   On the other side…if each set of parents had a list of 50…oops!   My own lists for each of my daughter’s weddings were well over 50+…and that was painful enough!   Again…it boils all down to the list!

The Location:
Don’t expect a whole bunch of folks to show up to a destination wedding if it requires travel/lodging expenses in excess of $500/person.   (You can only go but so far or can't get too exotic at $500 a pop!)   If you do…don’t expect any big time gifts!   Again…this does not apply to you one per-centers!

My youngest wanted to get married in Jamaica.   We love Jamaica.   My wife was born in Jamaica…but when my daughter realized that a significant number of family, close friends and other relatives that she wanted to share in her “once-in-a-lifetime” experience…financially…would not be able to attend...she squashed that idea.   Instead, she got married in Connecticut…and the wedding party (and her parents…that would be me & Mom) all jumped on a plane and went to Montego Bay and had a group honeymoon!



It was an awesome 7-day experience for about 14 of us!   Everyone involved still says it was the best.   For a few folks in the wedding party…it was their first trip “abroad”!

Now that I think about it…”international” weddings can be an exception to this “destination wedding” rule.   My oldest daughter…fell in love with and eventually married my German son-in-law.   He was born and raised in Dresden, Germany…from the former East Germany no less!   The wedding was held here in Connecticut.



The final list included about 180 guests.   Aside from his immediate family, the list also included about 30 friends from Germany, a dozen or so from California and even one from Tokyo Japan!   We sent out the invitations…and I assumed that maybe 10 or 15 of the their German friends would actually attend…saving me some money!   Wrong!   Damn near all of them showed up!   Even the friend from Tokyo!   For many, it was their first time to America.   For my son-in-law’s grandmother, it was her first time on a plane!!!   She was 82!

The Wedding Venue:
Inviting 50 people and getting married in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral (in New York City) is a little odd….dontcha think?   If nothing else…the echoes would be deafening.   Big is one thing…small is another!   My wife and I got married in a small church (capacity about 120).   The ceremony was scheduled for 10:30AM.   My wife and future in-laws were worried because we invited 150+ people.   I assured them that most of my friends would not attend a wedding ceremony starting at 10:30AM.   Much to my surprise…they ALL showed up!   There was standing room only!   Seriously…some folks had to stand in the vestibule!   I was shocked!   At 10:30AM…I barely made it to the ceremony myself!

Our youngest daughter got married in a beautiful old church…that we didn’t even belong to…but they opened their arms to us.



Every other church turned us down except St. Johns Episcopal and a nearby Universalist Church.   I could go on forever about that…but I’ll defer. The older daughter got married at the reception venue…a beautiful outdoor ceremony.   Outdoor versus indoor is a whole ‘nother discussion.   Fortunately, the rain didn’t start until after the ceremony and the outdoor cocktail hour!

The Reception Venue:
Okay…so the list is 500?   Scratch the filet mignon!   How about a single rosebud per table…better yet…a daisy?   Tables?   What tables?   Passed hor d’ourves?   Fuhgeddaboudit!   Open bar…maybe!   Top shelf booze at open bar?   At 500 guests…no thanks…we’ll use the house brand instead!   How about just beer and wine?   How about BYOB!

Both daughters opted for a reception venue…that by default…dictated the maximum number of invitees.   I think both venues had a capacity of about 175 or so guests.   As I mentioned, for our oldest daughter the wedding and reception venue were one and the same.   The younger wanted a big time party atmosphere and opted for a local venue.



Unfortunately…both lists started out at the 200 level!   It was an agonizing exercise going through the list and having to make some eliminations.   To this day…I regret eliminating those I/we wanted to attended versus those that were “politically correct” to invite!

Once their big day arrived, I was really annoyed…okay…livid…at the last minute “no shows”.   Okay…you were really sick!   I understand.   Other than that…you really pissed me off.   Why?   We had to include you in the “committed” headcount to the caterer…you cost me money even though you opted not to show up!   More importantly…we eliminated folks from our list so that you could attend…and you didn’t.   In many cases, I understand…but in most…there was no excuse!   Especially when we had to tightly scrutinizing the infamous list!   Again…it’s the list and forget about being politically correct!

The Gown!
It’s obviously a female thing…and I’ll get beat up for this.   Why anyone, outside of the one per-centers, would spend more than a grand on a dress (okay…wedding gown) is beyond my comprehension.   Okay…$1500 MAX!   My daughters spent less than half of that!   You’re in the dress for a max of seven or eight hours!   Less if you have a wedding gown and then a change into “a dress for the reception”.   I understand it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience…but trust me…the bride’s daughter (if she ever has one) does NOT plan to wear your “hand-me-down” dress at her nuptials…and you quickly realize that spending several thousand dollars on a white dress is absurd!

Father of the Bride:
I could go on and on but I don’t expect that you’ve read even this far!   If you have…let it be known that I was a very happy “Father of the Bride”…both times! Everything worked out really well and the feedback from the daughters, son-in-laws, and invited guests were awesome.   If nothing else…have a great time…but don’t forget the list!

Monday, January 16, 2012

Sunday, January 15, 2012

GOP Presidential Picker


Below are my results for the online GOP candidate picker.   You answer a short series of questions on the economy, foreign policy, etc. and watch your responses tumble through the stated positions of the GOP candidates.



I’ve said it before…if the GOPers had any brains…of those seeking the Presidency…they’d do best by selecting Huntsman.   To me, he appears to be the most level headed of the lot.   I felt a sense of relief seeing Santorum’s name at the bottom of my results.   It probably would have been a two way tie if Bachmann was still around.   On second thought…she would have been below Santorum…where she belongs!

Friday, January 13, 2012

Rick Santorum



It will continue to amaze me that anyone (other than Santorum himself) thinks that he should be the next President of the United States.   Below are a few “beauties” from "Frothy Mix”.
  1. Annul same-sex marriages
  2. I’m for income inequality
  3. Contraception is a “License to do things”
  4. Gay soldiers cause problems for people living in close quarters
  5. Obama should oppose abortion because he is black
  6. We don’t need food stamps because obesity rates are so high
  7. Abortion exceptions to protect women’s health are phony
  8. Health reform will kill my child
  9. Uninsured Americans should spend less on cell phone bills
  10. Insurers should discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions

Details on the above can be found here.

And he claims to be against big government!   As reported in the NY Times:

In the years before he lost his Pennsylvania Senate seat in 2006, Rick Santorum worked hard to win hundreds of millions of dollars in additional Medicare money for hospitals in Puerto Rico.   He sponsored at least two Senate bills and pushed to amend a mammoth Medicare overhaul to include the extra spending, which would have benefited Universal Health Services, a Pennsylvania-based hospital management company with facilities in Puerto Rico.   If it seems at odds with the small-government philosophy Mr. Santorum now espouses in his presidential campaign, it was in line with his legislative efforts to help businesses in his state.

And some of those businesses were happy to return the favor.

Within months of leaving the Senate, Mr. Santorum joined the board of Universal Health Services, where he collected $395,000 in director’s fees and stock options before resigning last year.   He also became a consultant to Consol Energy, after years of advocating drilling and extraction policies helpful to the company, a Pennsylvania gas and coal producer.   And he consulted for the American Continental Group, a lobbying firm whose clients won earmarks he sponsored.


On a personal note…it scares the hell out of me to think that his 5 children are home schooled.   That will just add 5 more wackos to the mix!

It also scares me how many GOPers in Iowa and New Hamsphire thought he should be in the White House!   It scares me…but he’ll never get there!   South Carolina...bring it on!

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

The Caucus & the Primary


Someone needs to explain to me (one of these days) why Iowa and New Hampshire have such a major influence in determining a party's candidate for the presidency.

Since this time it's the Rethuglicans...I really don't give a damn, but I'm just curious!   Between the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary, so far, approximately 365 thousand Rethuglicans have voiced their opinion on who they think should be their presidential candidate.   Mitt Romney!   365 thousand and it's damn near a done deal.   That's just a smidgeon over 1% of the total American population!

Iowa?   I love Iowa!   I went to school in Iowa!   But come on!   According to various sources:
  • 99% of Iowa's GOP Rethuglican caucus-goers are white
  • 50+% identify themselves as Evangelical or "born again" Christians
  • 70% say they live in a small town or rural location!

New Hampshire?   Second least religious state in the nation!   Sorry Rick Santorum!

Of course we still need to hear from the Teabaggers from South Carolina...and shortly thereafter the "dangling chad" voters of Florida!   Once we hear from these wonderful Americans...apparently it's a done deal!   But still...I just don't get it!

New Hampshire...and the winner is?












Interesting to note that Rick Perry received fewer votes than "other"!

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Iowa Today...via the Rethuglicans?


  • Goodbye Michele...and good riddance!
  • Rick Santorum!!! You gotta be kidding me!
  • Gingrich? - Paychecks versus food stamps for black folks!!!
  • Huntsman - if Rethuglicans had half a brain they'd be signing up for this dude!

The Iowa I knew...and Loved!




I spent four years of my life in Dubuque, Iowa.   That was over 40 years ago.   But this video reminds of the good that is Iowa as opposed to what I've seen/heard from the Republicans seeking to win the Iowa caucuses!

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Loving versus Virginia...Again!


How ironic is it that my most recent post was about inter-racial couples in our immediate and extended family.   Today's New York Times (magazine section) ran a short photo essay/article about the Lovings.   Why today?



In January, the International Center of Photography is mounting a show of Grey Villet’s photographs of the couple in 1965.   That exhibit is complemented by an HBO documentary, ‘‘The Loving Story,’’ directed by Nancy Buirski, which will be shown on HBO on Feb. 14.   The film tells of the Lovings’ struggle to return home after living in exile in Washington, where Mildred, gentle in person but persistent on paper, wrote pleading letters to Robert F. Kennedy and the A.C.L.U.

I've written about the Lovings before.   Check out the black & white photos at the New York Times.   Awesome.